Bath apparatus



Sept. 8, 1936.

J. s. BELT BATH APPARATUS Filed oct, 22, 1954 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 f' BATH APPARATUS Joseph S. Belt, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Ruby Vines Belt Application October 22, 1934, Serial No. 749,463

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bath apparatus of the type disclosed in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,860,009, issued May 24, 1932, wherein means is provided for supplying carbonated Water to bath tubs or the like for therapeutical purposes.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus of the above type affording a continuous supply of carbonated water under pressure which may be drawn off as desired for use, and capable of being placed Where most convenient remote from the bath tub.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above kind which is extremely simple in construction, elicient in operation, and designed to operate with a minimum amount of attention.

Specifically, the present invention aims to provide an improved bath apparatus of the type in which carbonated water from a relatively small capacity carbonator is supplied to and stored under pressure within a relatively large capacity storage tank, means being provided to permit water to be drawn off from the storage tank and used in an unheated state, and further means being provided for automatically heating the carbonated water separately drawn off from the storage tank and as it ilows from the latter. By properly mixing the unheated and heated carbonated water from the storage tank, a bath may be had at the temperature required to meet the need of different patients.

The present invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

The drawing shows a diagrammatic elevational view of a bath apparatus embodying the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates a Vconventional type of carbonator or automatic carbonating machine, wherein there is provided a tank of small capacity for receiving the water as it is carbonated under pressure. The carbonator has an inlet pipe, as usual, for the water to be carbonated, and connected to a continuous source of water supply, such as a city water supply main. Means is provided to afford a constant supply of carbon dioxide gas for the carbonator, such as an ordinary tank or iiask l charged with liquid carbon dioxide under high pressure and having its outlet connected by a pipe 8 with theY gas inlet of carbonator 5 as at 8a. The liquid carbon dioxide in tank l will be under a pressure varying from 900 lbs. to 1500 lbs., and arranged in the pipe 8 near the outlet of tank 'l is a pressure regulator 9 such as commonly used in carbonating apparatus, for causing gas to be delivered to the carbonator through pipe 8 at the desired pressure. A pressure gage I0 is provided to indicate the pressure of the gas in the line 8 after passing through regulator 9. A suitable shut-off valve I2 may be provided in the pipe 8 adjacent tank 'i to facilitate changing a full tank for an empty one.

The carbonator 5 has an outlet for the Water carbonated therein, as indicated at I4, and this outlet pipe may be provided with a shut off valve I5. It will be understood that the carbonator includes a water pump operated by an electric motor I8 which is automatically controlled in the manner generally disclosed in the United States patent to C. L. Bastian, No. 676,406, dated June 18, 1901. Such controlling means for motor I8 includes a balance tank i9 connected at its top and bottom with the tank of the car-f bonator by means of exible pipes 20 and supported on one end of a lever 2i which carries a Weight 22 at its other end. The arrangement is such that the water in the balance tank will maintain the same level as that in the carbonating tank of the carbonator, and so that when the quantity of water in the balance tank is sufficient to swing the lever on its pivot against the resistance of weight 22, the balance tank will lower and through suitable devices will cut off the current to the motor i8 and thereby stop the pump of the carbonator. The switching device may be of any well known or preferred construction, and it is not shown or described herein because of the fact that the same is conventional and forms no specific part of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention, a relatively large capacity storage tank 23 is mounted in a horizontal position adjacent the carbonator 5 to receive and store under pressure the carbonated Water from carbonator 5, such carbonated water being supplied to the bottom of tank 23 through a pipe 25 connecting the carbonated water outlet i4 with the bottom vof storage tank 23 and having the shut-off valve l5 arranged therein. It will be noted that the carbonator 5 is mounted at a proper elevation upon a suitable supporting base 26, so that the level of the carbonated water in storage tank 23, when the latter is substantially full, will be the same as the level of the carbonated water in the balance tank and in the carbonating tank of the carbonator when the latter are substantially full, the carbonated water maintaining the same level in tank 23 as in the carbonating tank of the carbonator and in the balance tank I9 by reason of flowing by gravity from the carbonator to storage tank 23 by way of pipe 25.

A stand pipe 21 rises from carborated water outlet pipe 25 at a point where the latter extends below the bottom of storage tank 23, said stand pipe 21 projecting above the carbonator 5 and storage tank 23 and being connected adjacent its upper end by a pipe 28 with the top of storage tank 23. 'Ihe stand pipe 21 is also connected intermediate its ends and at a point near the top of storage tank 23 by means of a pipe 29 with the gas inlet of carbonator 5 at a point between said gas inlet and the connection 8a of gas supply pipe 8 with said gas inlet. Arranged in the pipe 29 is a check valve 30 arranged to automatically close when pressure on the carbonator side thereof is greater than that on the storage tank side thereof and to open when pressure on the storage tank side of the same is greater than pressure on the carbonator side thereof. Thus, when the gas pressure in the top of storage tank 23 exceeds the pressure of gas in the carbonator or in the gas supply line 8 for the latter, excess carbonated water may by-pass back to the carbonator by Way of stand pipe 21 and pipe 29, while excess gas in the top of storage tank 23 may pass to the carbonator by way of pipes 28, 21 and 29. Under the last-mentioned condition, the excess gas from storage tank 23 will be utilized in the carbonating operation, temporarily cutting off the supply of gas from tank 1 through line 8 because of exceeding the pressure of gas supplied through said pipe or line 8. An important further feature of this arrangement is that the gas pressure in the carbonator can only be relieved through the carbonated water outlet I4 of the latter, relief of such pressure through pipe 29 being prevented by check valve 3D. Thus, as soon as carbonated water is drawn oif from storage tank 23 the pressure of the gas in the top of the latter is relieved or lowered below that of the gas in the carbonator, thereby permitting the carbonated water to readily flow by gravity from the carbonator into storage tank 23 by way of pipe 25.

A safety pressure relief valve 29 is provided on the upper end of stand pipe 21 to permit the escape of gas from the apparatus in case it should be dangerously increased in pressure at any time from unusual causes. Also, the carbonator 5 is preferably mounted in a shallow drip pan 30' positioned upon the base 26, said drip pan being arranged to catch any water that may drip from the carbonator by reason of slight leakage, such as sometimes occurs because of worn packing of the positive pump which supplies the water to the carbonator. 'I'his drip pan 30' is provided with a suitable drain cock 3l to facilitate emptying thereof from time to time. Also, the carbonated water outlet pipe 25 may be provided with a drain cock 32 for an obvious purpose, such drain cock being provided at a point in the pipe 25 where the same reaches its lowest level.

I'he storage tank 23 is provided with two outlet pipes 33 and 34 which extend from the bottom of said tank to faucets 35 and 36 adapted to discharge into a bath tub or the like. The outlet pipe 33 extends direct to the faucet 35 and the tub into which it discharges, and means is provided for heating the carbonated water flowing through outlet pipe 34 from storage tank 23 to faucet 36. Such heating means preferably consists of an automatic water heater 31 which may be mounted on the storage tank 23, and which is preferably of the type disclosed in the U. S. patent to E. S. Hoyt, No. 1,310,160, dated July 15, 1919. By the use of a heater of this type, the mere opening of the hot water faucet 36 turns on the gas to the main burner of the heater and the main burner is lighted by a pilot light, the water being heated only while passing through the heater because the supply of gas to the main burner of the heater is automatically cut-01T when the hot water faucet is closed. Such an arrangement is especially important in connection with carbonated baths and carbonated water bath apparatus because of the fact that the heating of carbonating water causes the carbon dioxide gas to be rapidly evolved therefrom, and it is accordingly desirable to only heat the water as it is being drawn olf for use and not while it is kept in storage within the tank 23. Naturally, by operation of the faucets 35 and 36, either cold carbonated water or heated carbonated water, or both, may be drawn olf from the storage tank 23 for bathing purposes, and when both cold and heated carbonated water are drawn off the respective amounts thereof may be controlled to obtain a bath of the required tempera-ture.

In operation, the water is carbonated in carbonator 5 and flows therefrom into storage tank 23 by way of pipe 25 until said storage tank 23 is substantially filled, whereupon the carbonated water in tank 23 will be under the same gas pressure as in carbonator 5. The latter is partly due to the vapor pressure exerted by the gas in the water and partly due to the gas supplied by tank 1 at a given pressure to the carbonator and the other units of the apparatus. When the water reaches the desired high level in storage tank 23. the balance tank I9 is filled and caused to lower by gravity against the action of weight 22 so as to swing lever 2I on its pivot and operate the before-mentioned switching device of the carbonator so as to throw the motor I8 of the latter out of operation and thereby stop the water pump of the carbonator. Any excess gas evolved from the water in storage tank 23 passes back from the latter through pipes 28, 21 and 29 into the carbonator, providing such excess gas is of a pressure greater than the pressure of carbonation determined by the pressure regulator 9. In other words, under such conditions, the gas for carbonating the water in carbonator 5 is supplied from the accumulated excessive gas in tank 23, but when the pressure in tank 23 decreases and equals the pressure of carbonation, such gas is again supplied by the original source or tank 1. When the tank 23 is filled with carbonated water so that the level of the latter rises above pipe 29 .and the gas pressure in the top of storage tank 23 exceeds the pressure of carbonation, the excess carbonated water supplied from the carbonator through pipe 25 is by-passed back to the carbonator through stand pipe 21 and pipe 29, until the switching device has had time to complete its operation and throw the carbonator out of operation. In fact, it is this return of carbonated water to the carbonator through pipes 21 and 29 that causes the tank of the carbonator and the balance tank I9 to ll so that the balance tank will lower against the action of weight 22 for operating the switching device which throws the motor I8 out of operation. As the tub is filled with carbonated water supplied from tank 23, the level of the carbonated water in the latter is lowered, thereby increasing the volume of space available for the accumulated gas above the carbonated water in tank 23 and causing the pressure in the latter to decrease below the pressure set for carbonation, so that the water in the carbonator and balance tank I9 is forced therefrom into tank 23 by the greater pressure maintaining in said carbonator, as well as by gravity. When the level of the water in the carbonator and balance tank IS lowers suiiiciently, the balance tank I9 will be raised by weight 22 so as to close the switching device controlling motor I8 and place the carbonator into operation to again carbonate water and supply it to storage tank 23. Thus, a continuous supply of carbonated water under pressure is always had to be drawn off as desired for use, even though a relatively small capacity carbonator is used. This avoids the necessity of waiting for the slow operation of the low capacity carbonator, or the necessity of employing a special large capacity carbonating equipment. Thus, a relatively inexpensive and efficient bath apparatus is had mainly involving available commercial devices which may be readily combined and set up for use for the particular purpose contemplated. Obviously, minor changes in the general arrangement and construction shown ,and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new is:

l. A bath apparatus comprising, in combination with an automatic carbonating machine provided wlth a motor-operated water pump and having a tank of small capacity for receiving the water as it is carbonated under pressure, means affording a constant supply of water and carbon dioxide gas for said carbonating machine, a tank of relatively large capacity having a bottom carbonated water inlet in constant communication with the tank of said carbonating machine and adapted to receive and store under pressure the water carbonated by the latter, said carbonating machine further having means including a balance tank for automatically throwing the water pump operating motor of said carbonating machine into and out of operation respectively as the level of carbonated water lowers and rises to predetermined points within the tank of said carbonating machine, said large capacity storage tank being arranged with respect to the carbonating machine so that the carbonated water will flow by gravity to the former from the latter and automatically acquire the same level in said large capacity storage tank and said small capacity tank of said carbonating machine, an outlet for the carbonated water extending from the bottom of said storage tank and provided with a discharge faucet, means aording a by-pass connection between the gas inlet of said carbonating machine and both the top of said large capacity storage tank and the bottom carbonated water inlet of the latter whereby excess gas in the storage tank may pass at all times from the latter to the gas inlet of the carbonating machine and whereby excess carbonated water discharged from the carbonating machine may by-pass back to the same through said gas inlet without flowing to-the storage tank, and a check valve in said by-pass connection for preventing flow therethrough from the gas inlet of the carbonating machine to the storage tank.

2. A bath apparatus comprising, in combination with an automatic carbonating machine provided with a motor-operated water pump and having a tank of small capacity for receiving the water as it is carbonated under pressure, means affording a constant supply of water and carbon dioxide gas for said carbonating machine, a tank of relatively large capacity having a bottom carbonated water inlet in constant communication with the tank of said carbonating machine and adapted to receive and store under pressure the water carbonated by the latter, said carbonating machine further having means including a balance tank for automatically throwing the water pump operating motor of said carb-onating machine into and out of operation respectively, as the level of carbonated water lowers and risesl to predetermined points within the tank of said carbonating machine, said large capacity storage tank being arranged with respect to the carbonating machine so that the carbonated water will flow by gravity to the former from the latter and automatically acquire the same level in said large capacity storage tank and said small capacity tank of said carbonating machine, an outlet for the carbonated water extending from the bottom of said storage tank and provided with a discharge faucet, means aording a by-pass connection between the gas inlet of said carbonating machine and both the top of said large capacity storage tank and the bottom carbonated water inlet of the latter whereby excess gas in the storage tank may pass at all times from the latter to the gas inlet of the carbonating machine and whereby excess carbonated water discharged from the carbonating machine may bypass back to the same through said gas inlet without flowing to the storage tank, a check valve in said by-pass connection for preventing flow therethrough from the gas inlet of the carbonating machine to the storage tank, said lastnamed means including a vertical stand pipe communicating at its lower end with and rising from the bottom carbonated water outlet of the carbonating machine to a point above the top of said storage tank and connected near its upper end with the latter, and a pipe connecting the 

